VICTORIA, British Columbia – Denmark native Gustav Frimodt carded an 8-under 62 in the first round of The Beachlands Victoria Open to lead by one at Uplands Golf Club. Recent spring graduates John Marshall Butler and Frederik Kjettrup are tied for second at 7-under. Seven players are tied for fourth heading into the second round of the opening event of the North America Swing.

Frimodt is one of 25 players in this week’s field making their professional debuts. The 25-year-old recently graduated from Texas Christian University where he claimed three individual victories and 11 top 10s en route to securing a spot in the top 25 of the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking. After finishing No. 9 in the final ranking, Frimodt earned exempt membership to the North America Swing of PGA TOUR Americas and conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour.

A five-year collegiate career was decorated by six different honors and recognitions: Big 12 Men’s Golfer of the Month (April 2024), PING All-Central Region (2024), PING Third Team All-American (2024), All-Big 12 Conference Team (2024), Big 12 All-Tournament Team (2023, '24) and Academic All-Big 12 (2021, '22). It was TCU's first All-Big 12 and Big 12 Men’s Golfer of the Month honors since 2019 when PGA TOUR member Hayden Springer was recognized.

During his amateur career, Frimodt reached as high as No. 22 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. He represented Denmark twice in 2023 at the European Amateur Team Championship and the World Amateur Team Championship (Eisenhower Trophy). Most notably, he won the 2022 Danish International Amateur Championship by seven strokes.

Part of Frimodt’s success in his professional debut stemmed from his relationship with his caddie. Magnus Frimodt, Gustav’s brother, agreed to put his studies in Denmark on hold for a year in exchange for a job on his brother’s bag. Magnus understands the game well, being a past avid golfer himself, and was there for Gustav each step of the way in his first tournament as a professional.

“It was honestly just so nice to have my brother on the bag out there. It made me feel like it was just another golf round,” shared Gustav. “He knows me so well. He knows when to say things and when not to say things. All in all, I think it is a really good dynamic. It makes me calm on the course.”

Frimodt is set to tee off at 8:10 a.m. PT on Friday with Fortinet Cup No. 1 Matthew Anderson and No. 3 José de Jesús Rodríguez. Second-round tee times begin at 7:30 a.m. PT and will run until 2:30 p.m. PT off the Nos. 1 and 10 tees on Friday.

First-round leaderboard

About Gustav Frimodt (first/8-under)

Age: 25
Birthplace: Glamsbjerg, Denmark
Residence: Glamsbjerg, Denmark
College: Texas Christian University
Fortinet Cup (start of week): N/A

• Finished No. 9 in the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking; one of five players to earn exempt membership on PGA TOUR Americas and conditional Korn Ferry Tour status
• Played five collegiate seasons at Texas Christian University where he claimed three individual victories (2022 Ben Hogan Collegiate, 2023 Valero Texas Collegiate, 2024 Big 12 Championship)
• His brother, Magnus Frimodt, caddied for him in his professional debut this weekend; shares that his brother put his studies on hold in Denmark to caddie for him in his first professional year
• Earned TCU's first All-Big 12 and Big 12 Men’s Golfer of the Month honors since 2019 when PGA TOUR member Hayden Springer was recognized
• During his amateur career, reached as high as No. 22 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Represented Denmark a total of five times, including twice in 2023 at the European Amateur Team Championship and the World Amateur Team Championship (Eisenhower Trophy)

Competition notes

Course setup: Par 70 / 6,420 yards; R1 average: 68.53
Weather: Mostly sunny with a high of 78. Wind from the southeast at 2-7 mph with gusts up to 9 mph.

• Denmark’s Gustav Frimodt holds sole possession of the 18-hole lead after carding an 8-under 62 in the first round of his professional career. Frimodt, who finished No. 9 in the 2024 PGA TOUR University Ranking, carded the lowest opening round of the class of 2024 thus far.
• Frederik Kjettrup of Denmark (T2/7-under) and American Evan Brown (T4/6-under) are tied for the most birdies made through one round (nine)
  • Both Danes in the field, Frimodt and Kjettrup, are inside the top three.
• Five countries are represented in the top 10 and ties: United States (five), Argentina (two), Denmark (two) and New Zealand (one).
• Twenty-five players, including Frimodt (First/8-under) and John Marshall Butler (T2/7-under), made their professional debuts on Thursday at Uplands Golf Club.
• Argentinians Martin Contini and Mateo Fernández de Oliveira (T4/6-under) are the low Latins through 18-holes.
• Brendan MacDougall, in the field via a Golf Canada Sponsor Exemption, is the low Canadian after the first round (T23/4-under).
• Neal Shipley, the low amateur at the 2024 Masters and U.S. Open, carded a 4-under 66 and is T23 after the first round of his professional career.
• Austin Squires (T12/5-under) leads four Monday Qualifiers in the field who are under par: Ian Holt (T23/4-under), Chris Minton (T37/3-under) and Jake Scott (T58/2-under).
• Hole No. 6 – the 460-yard par 4 – was the most challenging hole at Uplands Golf Club; averaging a +.240.